Swing



Aug. 30, 1927.- 40,862

W.-H. TIERNEY SWING Filed March 10. 1926 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 24/ i fi vwcwfoz I Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. TIERNEY, or WASHINGTON,'DIS'J.RICT or COLUMBIA.

SWING.

Application filed March 10, 1926. Serial Ito; 93,710.

This invention relates to swings and more especially to a mechanical movement where bythe' occupant of a swing, by the exertion of comparatively slight power can maintain.

anoscillation of the swing;

A further object. is to provide a swing ated by the oscillation of the swing for aiding the operator in actuating the mechanism so as to reduce to the minimum the energy required to maintain the swing in motion. WVith the foregoing and other objects in view which Will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within/the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit ,of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the pre- "erred form of the invention has been shown. s r

In said drawings,

I Figure 1 is a front elevation of a swing embodying the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section online 33 Figure 1.

Figure 1 is a section on line 1- 1 Figure 3 showing one of the adjustably mounted tripping arms.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference l'designates a supporting structure which can be of any desired construction. This structure includes spaced ledges 2 cooperating to form a track on which are mounted wheels 3 journaled on the ends of an axle 4:. Secured to the axle at opposite sides of the center thereof are sleeves 5 each of which is provided, at one end, with an annular flange 6 from which isextended a tipping arm 7 and the two tripping arms are extended substantially in opposite directions as shown'in Figures 2 and 3. A hanger 8 ismounted on each sleeve 5 so as to rotate thereon and attached to each hanger isan angular bracket 9 which is also fitted on sleeve 5 and adapted to rotate thereon. These brackets v constitute means for preventing the hangers 8 from swaying laterally while the swing is in use. The two hangers serve to support a seat 10 which can be of anyconstruction desired.

The middle portion of axle 4: is enlarged as shown at 11. and has an opening 12 extending therethrough the wallet which is screw threaded for engagement with the threaded portion 13 of an actuating shaft 14L extending through the enlargement 11 at right angles to. the longitudinal axis of the axle 4E. Shaft 14 is journaled in hangers 15 depending from the top 16" of the'supporting structure and secured to or formed on this shaft close to each of the hangers is a gear 16. A segmental gear 17 having a radial arm 18 is journaled on one of the hangers 15 and meshes with one of the gears 16 while another segmental gear 19 is journaledon the other hanger 15 and meshes with the other gear 16, this segmental gear 19 being provided with a radial arm 20. As shown particularly in Figures 1 and 3 the arms 18 and 20 extend substantially in opp0-- site directions, arm 18 cooperating with one of the tripping arm 7 as hereinafter explained while arm 20 cooperates with the other arm 7. p

A pulley 21 is secured to one end of the shaft 1 1 and another similar pulley 22 is secured to the other end of said shaft. An actuating rope 23 is secured to the pulley 21 and is extended one or more time therearound. From this pulley the said rope is extended over guide pulleys 24 mounted on' the top 16 and thence downwardly to a' point close to the seat 10 where it can be grasped readily by the occupant. Another rope 25 is secur'edfto and wrapped about the other pulley 22 and is extended over a guide pulley 26 mounted on the top 16' from which it hangs so that the end thereof is supported close to the seat 10. I

The normal position of the axle 4c is midway between the ends of the ledges 2. hen his desired to actuate the swing the occupant of the seat 10 pulls on one of the ropes.

Itrope, 25 is pulled it will be partly unwound from its pulley 22 and cause'shai't 1 1 to rotate in one direction. Thus the rotating threaded portion 13 will shift the axle 4 and cause the rollers 3, which support the weight of the occupant, to travel toward one end of the track formed by the ledges. The seat 10 will thus be caused to swing in the same. direction in which the axles has moved and as it reaches this limit of its swinging movement the operator, by

other end of the track. Thus the swing will be caused to move in the opposite direction and by intermittently" pulling upon the ropes in proper succession and at proper intervals a steady oscillation of the swing can be produced. By providing the trip ping arms T and the radial arms 18 and 20 it is possible to impart automatically an impulse to the axle at the beginning of each movement thereof. For example, as the swing reaches one limit of its swinging movement the advancing arm 7, which moves with the swing, will come against the arm 18 and force it upwardly. Thus the meshing gears 17 and 16 will act to reverse the rotation of shaft let, the reverse movement being supplemented by a pull upon the proper rope by the operator. The stopping and slight reversal of the movement of the axle due to the coaction of arms 18 and 20 with the arms 7 acts as a signal by which the operator is governed in pulling upon the ropes. It will be obvious that, as the weight of the load is carried by the wheels 3 which constitute anti-friction de vices, and the shifting of the axle is affected by the rotation of the threaded shaft 14, very little power is required to actuate the swing. I

For the purpose of properly adjusting the arms 7 for cooperation with the respective arms 18 and 20, said arms may be held to the brackets 9 by bolts27 extending through the arms and each of which is adapted to be positioned in any one of a series of apertures 28 formed in the adjacent bracket 9.

lVhat is claimed is: l

1. The combination with an axle and anti-friction means for supporting the same for bodily movement, of a swing suspended from the axle, and means for imparting a hack and forth motion bodily to the axle to start the oscillation of the swing,

2. The combination with a wheel supaorted axle, of a swing suspended therefrom, means independent of the swing for imparting a baclc'and forth movement to.

the axle for oscillating the swing, and means actuated by the swing during the completion of each oscillation for reversing the action of the axle moving means 3. The combination with an axle mounted for bodily movement at right angles to its longitudinal axis, of a swing suspended from the axle, 'andfmeans independent of the swing for imparting a back and forth motion bodily to the axle to oscillatethe.

swing. 1a

The combination with an axle-mounted for bodily m'ovement, of a swing suspended therefrom, means operated by the occupant of the swing for reciprocating the axle at right angles to its longitudinal axis to start the oscillation of the swing.

5. The combination with an axle'mo'unted for bodily'movement and anti-friction supporting means therefor, of a swing suspended from the axle, a threaded shaft extending at right angles to and operatively cennectec to the axle, and means for imparting a back and forth rotation to said shaft to reciprocate the axle and oscillate the swing.

6. The combination with an axle mounted for bodily movement and antifriction supporting means therefor, of a swing suspended from the axle, a shaft having a 

